Britain's Gambling Commission, set up to replace the old Gaming Board under the 2005 Gambling Act, has issued its first full-year annual report. The report covers all areas of the UK's £84bn gambling industry.
It reported on policing activities within all sectors of the industry and within gaming machines said that in the year 2008/09 covered by the report, 144 illegal machines were seized, illegal betting in pubs has been curbed and the Commission had maintained a watch on the activities of remote gambling.
The review of stakes and prizes on Category C and D (AWP machines) had resulted in an uplift of prizes. Proposals were put into place to slow the speed of play in high-tech games with a stake higher than 60p and restrict the number of game links permitted in Category C machines. Research had also been carried out on high stake, high prize gaming machines, principally in bookmaker’s shops.
The Commission was due to release statistics on the UK industry in the near future.
